Device for producing infra-red rays



June 24, 1930. MacLAGAN 1,768,519

DEVICE FOR PRODUCING. INFRA RED RAYS Filed March 1, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 flziorwer June 24, 1930. p, MacLAGAN DEVICE FOR PRODUCING INFRA RED nus Filed March 1, 192 2 Sheefcs-Shget 2 Patented June 24, 1930 1,768,519

UNITED STATES PATENT orrica HECTOR P. MACLAGAN, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS DEVICE FOR PRODUCING INFRA-CBED RAYS Application filed Ka -ch 1, 1926. Serial No. 91,404.

My invention relates to an improved means relatively to the electrical resistance of the for producing infra-red rays, intended parheating unit, while the rays produced are of ticularly for therapeutic purposes. While it the desired kind, they are produced in such 3 has been recognized for some time that infrasmall quantity as to have small effect relative- 5 red rays are helpful and beneficial in connecly to the amount of ene gy being employed to tion with various treatments for disorders of produce them. Again, in using electrical the human system, and various means have heating units as described, the material of the been proposed for producing these infra-red core of the unit on which the winding is rays, certain objections have obtained herewound, must be selected to meet the requiretofore in connection with the said means ments for proper insulation, which prevents 50 proposed. As far as I am aware, these rays the selection of the material st adapted to have been produced heretofore by employing give off infra-red rays in la ge quantities to a heating element of some kind, preferably the exclusion largely or entirely of rays of having some form of an electrical resistance shorter wave length, and where the resistance in it, and heating the element by electric curunit is a block or rod of high resistance materent flow sufliciently to emit rays of desired rial, for example a, graphite compound, Wave length, and projecting the rays directl through which the heating current is caused from the element upon the body to be treated? to flow, difliculty is experienced in selecting Practical limitations inherent in electrical a suitable material for the block or rod,

heating elements generally, have, interfered adapted to give off infra-red rays nearly or. 7a

with the efiicient roduction of infra-red rays quite to the exclusion of rays of shorter wave in this manner For several reasons, for exlength ample it is convenient to have the heating unit It is a purpose of my present invention to v in theform of a windin of high resistance overcome the defects noted above, by prowire mounted on an insu ated support, to the viding the device with a heating unit of some 75 end that the unit may be compact, and where kind, preferably electrically heated, conthis is done the heatin effect is concentrated structed solely from the stand oint of the in the areas represente b the resistance wire requirements for producing e ciently the and either one of two e ects results, first if requisite temperature, regardless of the wave it be attempted to produce the infra-red rays length of the rays given off by it, and in conso in considerable quantity, on account of the nection with such a heating unit, I employ a relatively small extent of the concentrated shell of suitable material surrounding said N areas of production, the wire must be heated unit and preferably separated slightly thereconsiderably above'the temperature correfrom, to intercept the raysgiven off by said 3 sponding to the rays to be delivered from unit and as a result of the action of said rays so the device and as a result many yellow rays upon it, to be heated sufiiciently to give off and also rays of shorter wave length are proonly or principally, infra-red rays. With duced, which are known to have a markedly this construction, the'heating unit may be different effect on the body than the infra-red made Without re ard'to its ability to give off rays, and are therefore not to be desired in infra-red rays, t e only requisite being that 90 connection with infra-redray treatments, alit shall be capable of producing heat in sufiithough of course at the same time, infra-red cient quantity to heat the shell to the desired rays are produced in considerable quantity temperature, and at the same time, the mateand may be appliedtothe body being treated, rial of the shell may be selected to be best but not without the simultaneous application adapted to give off only or principally, infra- 96 of the undesirable rays of shorter wave red rays. A marked advantage secured by length; on the other hand when such a heatthis construction is that although the heat ing unit is used to develop only sufficient heat developed by theheating unit may be much to produce the desired infra-red rays, by greater than that required for the production properly restricting the electric current flow of infra-red rays, and although the heating. 100

effect may be concentrated in relatively limited areas, the shell acts as a diffuser and is heated by the rays given off by the heating element in substantially a uniform manner, and thus by properly making the parts, a relatively large surface of the shell may be heated to the proper temperature for giving off rays limited to the desired wave length or wave lengths. For example, if it is found necessary to limit the rays strictly to infrared rays, this may be done; or if it is desired to limit the rays delivered to red rays, and possibly orange-red rays and rays of longer wave length, where the said red or orangered rays are not objectionable, this may be done, but in any case the visible rays of short wave length which have markedly different effect. on the body treated, from rays of long wave length, may readily be entirely eliminated, even though delivered in considerable quantity from the heating unit.

A broader aspect of my invention consists in the production of a device for the purpose described consisting of a primary source of rays, whether this source be a heating element or otherwise, in the event some means is discovered of producing light and analogous rays by some other means than a heating element, and in conjunction with such primary element, employing a second element intercepting the rays from the primary element and acted upon thereby to produce and give off light rays or rays analogous thereto of long wave length, the material of the second element preferably being selected to effectively produce and give off rays of the desired wave length to the exclusion of waves of shorter wave length. 7

The above and other objects of my invention and features incidental to the carrying out of my invention, will more fully appear below in connection with the description of the drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of my invention, in which Fig. 1v shows my device in front elevation, Fig. 2 shows my device in side elevation, Fig. 3 shows in enlarged vertical sectional 'view the ray producing element employed in the device illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2,

Fig. 4 shows in a view similar to Fig. 3 a modified form of ray producing device which is conical instead of cylindrical.

Fig. 5 shows in a view similar to Fig; 3 a further modified form of ray producing device which is spherical instead of being cylindrical, and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a modified mounting and supporting arrangement for the ray producing device, affording a different direction of presentation of the ray producing device to the subject, from that indicated in Figs. 1 and 2.

, Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, my device consists of a ray producing device indicated at 10 engaged and supported at its lower end by a metal clamping ring 11, which is in turn supported by a metal bracket 12 from a block 13 of insulating material forming the base of the ray producing device. The device10 is further supported by a secondmetal bracket 14 engaging the lower end of the central portion of the device 10, this bracket being also supported on the block 13. The brackets 12 and 14 are secured to the block 13 by screws or bolts 15 and 16 respectively, which also engage the ends of wires 17 and 18 by which electric current may be supplied to the device through the brackets 12 and 14.

The structure thus far described is preferably mounted in a reflector 19 of such a c0nformation, material and'inner finish as to direct the rays outwardly from the open end tnereof as required in any particular case. The block 13 is secured in place in the reflector 19 by a suitable clamping bolt 20 extending into a handle 21 by which the entire device may be conveniently held. The handle 21 at its outer end is provided with a metal extension 22 to be engaged by any suitable support where it is desired to hold the device in definite relation to the subject treated for an appreciable time. The wires 17 and 18 are preferably led through an insulating bushing 23 in the lower portion of the rear wall of the reflector so that the wires are out of the way of the operator of the device.

The construction of the ra producing device 10 will best be understoo by reference to Fig. 3, in which the bracket 14 is shown secured to the lower end of a cylindrical core 24 of insulating, refractory material by a bolt 25 extending through the core and through the upper end of a cylindrical tubular shell 26 supported around the core by said bolt. The lower end of the shell 26 is clamped by the metal ring 11 carried by the bracket 12. The core shown in Fi 3 carries on its outer surface a winding 2 preferably of high resistance wire, the lower end of which is connected with the bracket 12 as indicated at 28, the upper end of the windin being connected with the bolt 25 as indicate at 29. The shell 26 is preferably closed at its upper end and is of such a length that its lower end is in substantially the same plane as the lower end of the core 24 carrying the winding 27, the inner bore of the shel being preferably somewhat greater than the outer'diameter of the core to afford a clearance space between the core and, winding, and the inner surface of the shell. The core 24 may be of any insulating material adapted to withstand the heat developed, and to carry the turns of the winding 27 in spaced relation and maintain them so, whether by grooving the core as indicated, or otherwise, as long as the turns of thewmding are maintained separated from each other and electrical connection between them is prevented. I find that lava or porcelain may be used to advantage as the material for the core.

' shell which may be generally classified as dum and fire clay;

silicates and carbides, for example carborun in addition carbon, graphite and silicon may be advantageously employed for this purpose, as well as lava and various met ls.

In F i 4, I show a modified construct-ion of I ray pro ucing unit 10, in which the core 24 core 24' has a mounting bolt 25 may be of similar material to the core 24, the difference being that the coreis conical in shape instead of cylindrical as shown for the core 24, and the core may be similarly wound with a winding 27 similar to the winding 27 and for the same purpose. The extending through it, to which the closed end of a conical shell 26 is secured, the shell being similar to the shell 26 excepting that it is conical in shape instead of cylindrical,'and similarly related to the core and its winding, to the relation above described between the core 24 and the shell 26. The open end of the core has a further support comprising a clamping ring 11 carried bya metal bracket 12" and the terminals of the winding 27 are connected with the bolt 25 and the bracket 12* in a manner similar to that above described. A second bracket 14 is employed to be engaged by the other end of the bolt 25 in the manner above described, and as before described, the brackets 12 and 14* are intended for mounting on a base of insulating material and serveas the electrical terminals of the heatin unit. I

In Fig. 5, show at 10 a further modified form of my ray producing unit in which the core 24" frusta meeting at their larger ends, the core being provided with a winding 27* similar to the winding 27 above described and for the same purpose. In this construction, the core and its winding is entirely enclosed by the two sections 26 and 26 of the shell, each of which is recessed 'and the sections 26 and 26 to clamp them together and hold the said re a parts in proper tive osition. A metal clamping ring 11 surroun s the joint between the sections 26" is inthe form of two conical to surround half of the core and its winding, so that these sections and 26, this ring being carried by a bracket 12' to in part support the unit. A-second metal cracket 14 is secured to the unit by the bolt 25 to further support the unit and to serve as the other electrical terminal thereof. These brackets are intended for mounting in any desired manner on an insulatin substanatially the manner indicate in Fig. 1, although it will be understood that I do not restrict myself to any particular relation of the unit to its base and 'the reflector, since the parts may be held together in any desired base, in

relation that will best produce the intended results. As illustrated in Fig. 6 for the unit 10*, the unit may be mounted with its axis.

coincident with or parallel to the axis of the reflector, instead of being perpendicular to said axis as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. In

the construction shown in Fig. 6, the relation indicated is secured by forming the brackets 12 and 14 as indicated, the relation of the insualting base '13 to the reflector, being preferably similar to that described inconnection with Figs. 1 and 2.

It will be understood that any desired presentation of the outer surface of the shell of the unit to the open end of the reflector may be secured by correspondingly shaping the supporting bracket or brackets of the unit, and mounting the supporting base of the unit in any desired position relatively to the unit and reflector, assuming that the latter is used, that may be most convenient. It will be understood' that for some purposes it may not be desirable to have as concentrated an effect as that producedby the useof a reflector, in which case the unit may be used without a reflector.

While the material of the shell in any case maywidely be selected from the materials described, I find the best results are secured where the material is of such a nature as to i be properly designated from the physicists standpoint, as a black body, that is a body 1 be understood that a body of this kind necessarily, ,at least as to its surface, has a very highlight absorbing value and a very low light reflecting value, and the more closely the material of the shell approaches the requirements of an ideal ack body, the

better it .will serve its contemplated function in connection with my invention. n In the present case, .by the term light rays, is meant rays emanating from a lumi nous body and having the hysical characteristics requisite, at least or certain wave lengths of said rays, to produce the sensation of slght on the eye of a beholder when viewing purpose of shielding the objects on which these rays fall, although by the term light rays as here used I mean all rays having the general characteristics just stated, whether of a wave length resulting in visible effects, or of too short or too long wave length to produce visible effects.

In using my ray producing device, it is desirable to restrict the shell of the device to such a degree of energization or excitation from the standpoint of ability to give off light rays, that the rays given off will be limited to infra-red rays, or at most to infra-red rays and visible red rays of longer wave length, where'the action of the visible red rays on the body treat-ed, is not objectionable, without however, in any case giving off visible light rays of shorter length than orange-red rays or orange rays, since light rays of shorter wave length have been found to have chemi cal effect on the person treated, as distinguished from the physical effects produced by light rays of longer wave length. The more nearly the material of the shell constitutes an ideal black body, the more effectively these light rays of longer wave length are produced, without the possibility of producing and giving off light rays of shorter and undesirable wave length, as far as the purposes of the present invention are concerned. From apractical standpoint, as far as I am aware, it is desirable to use some form of electrical resistance element as the primary element of my ray producing device, and where this is done, the electrical energy can only be efiectively utilized by developing relatively high temperatures in concentrated areas on the element, accompanied, of course, by the production of visible light rays of much shorter length than orange rays. The secondar y element of my device serves the double person treated from the light rays of relativel short wave length, and at the same time by t e heating or excitation by the rays projected against its inner surface by the primary element the secondary element may conveniently be heated to only the degree required to give off light rays of the desired wave length, with the added advantage that the heated areas of the secondary element or shell, are not concentrated at the outer surface of the shell, but on the other hand, that the material of the shell diifuses the heating effect so that a considerable area or areas of the outer surface of the shell or secondary element are effective in giving oft rays of the desired wave length, which are distributed over the surface in substantially a uniform manner, and in this way the energy of the rays given off by the primary element, whether visible or invisible, and whether long or short, is transformed so that this entire energy is efiective 'in producing rays which are g ven ofi by element of no shorter wave len desired. In this way .practica ly all of the energy communicated to the primary element, is delivered from the secondary element in the form of rays of long wave length, without the use of filters or color screens of any kind, so that this entire energy is available for direct application to the person to be treated by means of infra-red rays.

\Vhile I have shown my invention in the particular embodiment above described, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to this exact construction as I may employ equivalents known to the art at the time of the filing of this application without depart ing from the scope of the appended claims.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In an infra-red ray generator, the combination of a core of refractory insulating material, a high temperature resistance wire wound on said core, a shell of material opaque to light rays surrounding said resistance wire and out of contact with it, a rod extending through said core to support it, and means on said rod engaging said shell to support said shell from said rod.

2. In an infra-red ray enerator, the com-. bination of a core of re ractory insulating material, a high temperature resistance wire wound on said core, a shell of material opaque to light rays surrounding said resistance wlre and out of contact therewith but so closely ad- 'acent thereto as to be effectively heated therey, a rod extending through said core to support it, means on said rod engaging said shell to support said shell from said rod, a first supporting arm engagin said rod, and a second supporting arm ho ding said shell coaxial with said core.

3. In an infra-red ray enerator, the combination of a core of re ractory insulating material, a high temperature resistance wire wound on said core, a shell of material opaque to light rays surrounding said resistance wire and out of contact therewith but so closely adjacent thereto as to be effectively heated thereby, a rod extending through said core to support it, means on said rod engaging said shell to support said shell from said rod, a first supporting arm engaging said rod, and a second supporting arm holding said shell coaxial with said core, said supporting armsconstituting the electrical terminals of the device. a

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 24th day of February, A. D.

' HECTOR P. MACLAGAN.

the secondary h than that 

